The theme park of death
by Born of the Dova13
Summary: Zoro and Sanji are lost. In a them park. Nothing new. The reason why their lost, Usopp was kidnapped. But when they find the liar. They find another thing that they didn't want to believe in.
1. Chapter 1

(Sanji's POV)

The rain poured down, relentless and merciless. The fog around us was only starting to form but was starting to get thick, blinding us. We had been separated from the others. By we I mean, me and the Marimo. We were soaked to the bone, and I couldn't help but stare. The way his soaked T-shirt clung to his muscles, the way the raindrops cascaded down his face and the way it makes my WOAAAAHHHH Sanji hold it there. This isn't the time for that. Five figures stood in the yard of the theme park. One of the figures was out cold, being dragged by it's hair limply. Usopp. I ran and jumped over the fence, my lungs burning from sprinting so fast. I've ran like that before but never screaming bloody murder. I stopped, looking around. I saw the suit on the floor, lifeless and empty? I fingered it, it felt rough and calloused, defiantly not the way I imagined Zoro's hand. I saw a trail of blood appeared from the head of the suit and I followed it, assuming this was the way to where Usopp was. The grass headed monster caught up with me, panting only slightly as we carried on.

"Wow, you didn't get lost, I'm proud." I teased. He growled at me but otherwise didn't say anything. I patted his wet hair and carried on, inside the abandoned theme park. Lightning danced in the sky and Thunder cackled at us, laughing at our uselessness. The excitement and happiness, from when he park was open, fizzled and dissipated when the closed sign bared it's fangs. We had heard from the locals that this park was haunted, I could practically hear Usopp's knees from here. The fog was thick now, light trapped, encasing the buildings in an eerie shadow. We walked into the building, our footsteps the only sounds in the cracked darkness. We came across another suit. This one had something inside it.

"Zoro, pull the thing out." I ordered him, cursing his dirty mind as he snickered a bit. (I know my readers) It was a corpse. A half-eaten Corpse. The suit was stained a deep crimson and things that never should see the light were in plain view, the liver, the stomach, the bladder, the intestines had bits cut into them and the liver had chunks out of it. The flesh had been torn apart and the man's face was contorted with pain, fear and horror. I couldn't stomach it and carried on, following the bloody footprints that showed us the way.

"have all the employees been killed?" Zoro asked from behind me. I was starting to shake, I was scared now. The noise of our footsteps and the rain was drowned out by the Tsunami of thoughts that swam around in my mind. A door flew open and i squeaked, pathetic I know, but the squeak was high pitched and pathetic. The wind was a banshee, howling and screaming at us through the door. My heart exploded, it was beating like an overworked drum, I could hear it clearly, ringing in my ears. We kept walking though until our track was stopped by an ear piercing scream. We would recognize that scream anywhere.

"USOPP!" We screamed as we sprinted through the halls. We found the cannoneer with the half-eaten, mangled corpses of the other employees sprawled around him on the floor. I ran towards hum, but he was looking at something I couldn't see. He was shaking and crying, snot and tears covering his face, whimpering and sobbing.

"Don't eat me!" Was the last thing I heard I took a step closer until s piercing ring in my ears deafened me and everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

Sanji's POV

A ringing chime sounded in my ears as my eyes cracked open, and I caught a glimpse of the horrifying monster looming over Usopp, he passed out from fear. The monster exhibited major spinal dis figuration, giving it a hunchback-like appearance. It's teeth were sharp and disfigured, it's mouth was painted red with thick, human blood, it's limbs were much longer than normal, giving it the ability to climb up walls, and to make small jumps to and from different spots in the blink of an eye. The skin was also a sickeningly white and taut against their bodies, pulled tightly around their lengthy frames, it's skin like a glossy, stretched armor against its bones. It's eyes were a sunken back and white, like a lifeless corpse, It's skin was white and it hissed loudly. It was thin, like it was once human and it had starved, driven to death. It lunged around like a cat on all fours but still human-looking. I sat still, frozen in place as it's face hovered near mine, the only sound was my breathing resounding around the room and echoing in my ears. It lost interest in me and looked around the room. When it didn't see anything in the room, despite looking Usopp straight in his unconscious eyes.

"What? Why did it not...notice us? And what was that thing?" I whispered, not expecting an answer.

"A Wendigo. It's sight relies heavily on movement." A voice whispered in return.

"Brook?!" I whisper shouted, making as little sound as possible in case it was still in the vicinity. The skeleton nodded.

"We should hurry and get out of here. Wendigos stalk their prey and kill them sadistically. Despite their frail appearance, Wendigos are incredibly strong, capable of crushing a human skull with their own bare hands. They can use their vocalizations to scare prey into moving, so even if the screech is right behind you stay still. It's interesting, that they have the ability to mimic the voice of someone they hear, so don't go off following voices." Brook warned. I~ nodded taking in all the information. I looked around, Marimo and Usopp had been taken somewhere.

"Have you seen the shitty swordsman and Usopp?" I asked. The man beside me shook his head and answered

"No, I though they were with you?"

"We all got knocked out." I replied.

"They must've moved then." He announced. 'If they moved, and the Wendigo saw them, ...'

"Are they dead?" I blurted before i could stop myself from saying such ominous things, 'I'm starting to sound like Robin-chwan.' Brook shook his head.

"Probably not, if there's no blood around here." an ear piercing scream split the air around us, my stomach fell and my heart smashed on the ground.

It was Zoro's scream.

I ran, not caring about Brook's warning, or if it was the Wendigo luring me to move, if it was...well it succeeded. But if it wasn't, Zoro could be in trouble so I ran, and ran straight towards where I heard his yell. Brook's tells of warning and advice fell on deaf ears as I sprinted, straight towards the Wendigo. I ran into a room, the stench of fresh blood mingled with rotting corpses as they assaulted my senses. Bodies coated in blood littered the floor, just as many as the skeletons lay there. The bones crumpled under my feet, I spotted Usopp straight away, cowering in fear among the bones. I had to look twice at Zoro, he was gripping his left arm, it had claw marks all along the length. His shoulder was spouting blood like a tap left on, his shirt ripped, blood staining the remnants of the white garment. The Wendigo on the other hand was barely scratched, the only blood that stained it's form was Zoro's. I couldn't do anything but stare in horror as the scene with Mihawk played in my mind, and the after affects played out in front me. I barely noticed the form beside me.

"Swordsman! Fire is the only thing that effects it!" Brook shouted. "Stand still and it won't see you!"

"Brook! It'll hear you!" I whisper shouted."It's partially deaf. If we talk clearly it can understand. But certain volumes it can't hear." Zoro ends Usopp stood still in there places and our shares breathing was the only sound that reverberated around the walls and into our ears. The Wendigo screeched, trying to get us to stir. My heart leaped out of my chest and back in, racing around my insides in terror. It was a shrill cry, it was not human, but at the same time, it was like nothing I've ever heard from any animal before. It was a shriek of madness and fury, that was almost agonizing to hear. I winced slightly at the volume and pitch of the scream. It turned to face us, it's piercing unseeing eyes glaring at us. Every muscle in my body stopped, froze as if Aokiji had encased me in ice. The thing crawled nearer and I could hear my heartbeat reverberating in my ears. Someone ran past the door and the Wendigo shrieked again, barging past me and throwing me to the side. It looked at me straight in the eye, I ran and ran, looking for he person who ran distracting it, the Wendigo in hot pursuit. I ran around and around and I burst put of a door, stepping out onto air, falling hundreds of feet. The air hit my form and i shivered in the snow, I free fell as I hit the bottom I felt my leg crack and a sickening sound of flesh parting hit my ears, and then my lungs burned from my screaming.


	3. Chapter 3

(Sanji's POV)

 _Falling._ _I was Falling._

That was the only simple fact I could comprehend as I plummeted down. The world rushed by in a blur and I knew the pain is coming. It whent by fast, yet slow, almost suspended. Everything was black. I found myself falling in this darkness, hurtling to an invisible floor at the speed of a bullet fired from a gun. A floor that would most likely kill me if I continued to fall at this speed. The air pushed against my face, I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Then impact. I felt something hard. It slammed into my back, cracking it. I feel the bones of my leg move in a way they shouldn't, jangled and looking I know there is blood seeping from skin that seconds ago was smooth and stain-free.I don't move - anything to delay the part where I take in what I look like now. Torn and dirty skin, reddened, weeping. 

_Pain. I can feel pain._

My face closed in a grimace, my skin pale and clammy. Every few minutes I would scream, not like one of those guys in some Tarantino movie being tortured, but worse. It had a raw quality, the realness of a person consumed by a pain that knew no end or limit. Then I would go quiet, just panting. The pain moves across me, seizing every movement and locking my limbs in place long enough for it to cleave and claim another part of my being. The feeling of burning - an invisible flame that festers within - but only I can feel its pervasive hold. With the armor ripped open, from it pours a thick stream of red that soon leaves my interest as I see the Wendigo peer down the ravine.

I knew I had to get to the others, but my body was battered and broken. I see a puddle of rain, I look at my reflection that the moonlight night had cast. My mangled lip and obviously broken nose were caked in dried blood, congealed and cracked. The now browning blood had drizzled down my face like so much rain down a window pane. I stand shakily, resisting the urge to throw up or scream. Searing fiery bursts pulsated around the wound, intensifying with each dragging step, jarring and brutal. With each step the pain amplified, the bloody muscle quivered, my consciousness ebbed, and backed away from my frail form. Black mists swirled at the edges of my mind drawing her into sweet oblivion.  
"No, you have a job!" I scold myslf I asses myself.

 _Broken leg  
Clawed stomach  
Definite Concussion  
Skull fracture  
Broken nose  
and most terrifying of all;  
Shattered arm, broken wrist and fractured fingers. _

_"My hands... I let my hands get hurt. I broke my hand."_

I weep. Chopper would be furious with me, but I am more furious with myself than he ever could be. A cook's hand are his treasures, never let them get damaged. I knew that I would have scars, I knew my hand was mangled. Zeff would hate me. I prize my eyes from the puddle and look around me. There was a mine shaft. Mines have exits right? I decided to limp towards it. The burning pain continued, but my mind tuned it out. The dark red blood made it's way out of my body. It oozes between the space between my fingers as I cover my wound with a shaky, too pale to be healthy hand. My vision becomes blurrier as my blue shirt turns darker and all I can see is the scarlet blood that once flowed in my veins. Each drop of blood slowly takes away the life in me, leaving me pale and weak, yet defying death. The white snow under me is slowly tinted red. Like millions of red flowers blooming, the droplets of blood fell to the floor and created a path. Yet, even though there was a path, no one would see it nor follow it. Until eventually the snow would that and rain would come and in a torrent of water it would wash away the red, leaving the flowers to wilt and for the story to go unnoticed.

I looked behind me. Against the pristine snow the blood trail was stark. Small droplets had tumbled and spread into the white making arcs of scarlet. I sighed, someone would surely follow the droplet path, and hear the whispers of the Wendigo. I walk, that's all I could do. I can't run, I can't fight. Hell, I could hardly breathe! But I kept walking all the same. My breathing falters as I find a body.

"NO!" I scream frantically as I sprinted towards the fallen figure. The pain in my leg was searing through my body, intensifying with every step. but I couldn't bring myself to care in the slightest. I feel more blood seep into my clothes and crawl down my stomach. I feel the warm liquid flowing like fire, but as I see the body, raggedly breathing, clinging onto life by a spider's thread, my blood turns to ice and freezes, as does the rest of my body. My mind can't form a coherent thought, can't utter a single word.

I could feel my heart beat... every single pound in my chest. Sometimes my heart beats shallow, sometimes it beats so strong I think my chest will burst, but always it beats only for Zoro, It beats with my love. I found that so _naive,_ so _cheesy_ and _cliche_ I could vomit. But it was true. I loved Zoro, and his life was draining away in my arms. My hands were shaking so badly, my broken, battered and bloody hands. His blood flowed thickly over my fingers, warm, but steadily cooling. The violent red stained my shaking hands. The color burned in my mind along with what I am seeing. A sickness crawled within me as I tried to coax him to wakefulness, I want him to talk, I want him to call me shitty cook.

 _Anything. I want anything._  
Blood from a friend is nothing like an enemy's blood, just as a friend's death is nothing like an enemy's defeat. There is no amount of horror that can prepare a person for seeing the life ebb from another, the hopelessness, the tearing at the soul that is the departing of the other. Especially, the horror of watching someone you love, die in your arms. My heartbeat can sound like an echo, but even if it is only a faint echo of his that gives me have the courage to fight. In a large palace a fire like mine would die in the drafts, yet in a tiny cottage even the smallest of fires can keep a home warm. I am warm with him and my heart beats louder than the crashing waves. But my fire is extinguished when the beating stops, the waved stop crashing, and time stands still. Death wasn't kind. I knew that. I knew I was going to lose my Namaka. It snatched where it could, taking people who were far too young, far too good. It didn't pretend to care, it didn't pretend to distinguish. The hooded vale of death had hung over the world for a long time, always threatening. Zoro had seen the Grimm Reaper's smile too many times, brushed too close, teetered too close to the edge. He held me with cold caress. A face I taught myself to despise, hate, and love all at the same time brought me comfort. Icy tears dripped from my nose and flowed down his dying cheeks.

(Zoro's POV)

The pain that once burned like fire within my wounds had faded away to an icy numbness. Black filled the edges of my vision and the only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat. My breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. Seconds passed as I lay there, then, I heard voices. I heard a voice, a voice that was familiar. Sanji. He sprinted to me, cradling my dying form in his frail hands, trying to help me, I realized. He wanted to save me. If I could have, I would of laughed. Surely he could tell that it was far to late for me to be saved, yet he was like a child, naive to the darkness of the real world. The despair and suffering of the world that took everyone I loved away from me. I would be joining them soon though. Kuina, Sensei. I would be able to leave all the pain behind. I closed my eyes, I could die happily now. I heard Sanji's voice turn into heartbroken sobs. I heard incoherent words and broken sentences slip from the cook's mouth. I open my eyes to see the Cook cradling me to his chest, his tears splashing onto my head.  
"C-Cook." I stutter, crimson liquid spilling fro my mouth.

"Zoro? Oh my go you're alive!" He weeps, tears spilling from his blue orbs. I force my injured arm to raise and I cup his cheek. Wiping away his tears, he clamps his hand over mine, his tears pooling and swimming. I swipe his fringe behind his ear, I get to see everything, his whole face. my mouth swims in blood, and I spit into the now to my left. His eyes are still blown wide in shock. I try to smile, but my broken nose won't let me.

"You'll be a great first mate for Luffy." I whisper.

"W-What? You're the f-f-first m-mate. I'll get you to C-Ch-Chopper, then he can -f-fix you." he stuttered, he was trying to look strong. Coughs racked my body, I shook violently.

"We both know I'm a dying man Sanji. Don't kid yourself with false hopes." I scolding him. I cough up more blood and my body reels in pain, but I still cling to life as desperately as I can. The words fall from my lips without my minds input.

 _"I love you, Sanji. I love you more than my dream."_

 _My body stops. My heart breaks. My blood stops flowing. My breath ceases._

 _(3rd person POV)_

 _Roronoa Zoro ceases to exist, breathe._

 _And he ceases to live._

 _I'M SORRY! I just  REALLY wanted a death in this chapter. This is only a cliffhanger, don't worry. There will be another chapter._


	4. Chapter 4

Zoro's POV)

"I love you, Sanji. I love you more than my dream."

My body stops. My heart breaks. My blood stops flowing. My breath ceases.

(3rd person POV)

Roronoa Zoro ceases to exist, breathe.

And he ceases to live.

(Sanji's POV)

Blank.

My mind couldn't form a single sentence. He loved me. Once again my emotions turn jagged and my insides tight. My emotional pain seeps out in my broken pleas and it hurts to hear them. Emotional pain leaves invisible scars, yet they can be traced by the most gentle of touch.  
"I love you too. Please, kick me, punch me, fight me. Insult me. Do anything. Please. I need to do something. Please, Zoro, please, please... " I trail off as I shatter into a million pieces as his breath ceases. My tears are never ending. I look at his face. It's peaceful, but it has a twinge of regret on it. I place him down and place my lips on his, I breathe out, as he "breathes" in. I repeat this and clamp my hands over one another, ignoring the blinding pain. I pump his chest.

One  
Two  
Three

Memories blind me, just as my tears are. All those times my heart fluttered and my face flamed as he trained shirtless. Sweat beaded at his brow and cascaded downwards.

Four  
Five  
Six

When I first met him, something small stirred within me. The pain roared endlessly when Mihawk gave him the scar that trailed from hip-to-shoulder.

Seven  
Eight  
Nine

Alabaster, everyone escaped Crocodile's sea prism stone cell and he saved Smoker. He smiled. It was so genuine, I resolved that I wanted to make him smile like that. I needed to make him smile, for my sanity.

Ten  
Eleven  
Twelve

Every mealtime, I wait for the reactions of my crew. They always love it and compliment me. I never hear a compliment from Zoro. The All blue is my ultimate goal, but hearing praise from Zoro is a goal on a whole different level.

Thirteen  
Fourteen  
Fifteen

Zoro's face is so pale, it's not the lively tan it used to be. I cried, the tears kept coming. I can't stop them. Emotional pain isn't felt the way a cut or bruise is. This is much different and only I can tell it is there. Sometimes the pain is at the back of my mind like a pulse. Other times it pushes itself forward demanding attention. Cutting my heart and mind in half stinging with every breath I take.

Sixteen  
Seventeen  
Eighteen

The only way I could describe my heartache was like a the music of a great orchestra. At times it was quiet and allowed me to function, at other times the violins would play and he would be sad, then at other times it would rise to a crescendo and the anger would burst from my chest in vicious shouts of anguish.

Nineteen  
Twenty  
Twenty One

I recall every fight, every insult. I regret every one. The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down my face. My walls, the walls that hold me up, make me strong just... collapse. Moment by moment, they fall. I feel the muscles of my chin tremble like a small child and I focus on the still face of Zoro, as if he could soothe me. I hear my own sounds, like the small, distressed child, raw from the inside. It takes something out of me I didn't know I had left to give. That's the way it is when people are hard. It's like a theft of the spirit, of the heart, an injury no other person can see.

Twenty Two  
Twenty Three  
Twenty Four

For the longest time I was oblivious to my feelings for him. I was in pure denial. I thought I straight, I was, until I met Zoro. I annoyed at him for arousing these feelings within me. Fighting with Zoro was the only way I could force myself to see him every day and keep my feelings a secret, locked within myself for eternity.

Twenty Five  
Twenty Six  
Twenty Seven

Slowly blood returns returns to his face and I hear the Wendigo's screech. His cold body starts to warm and my hope starts to grow.

Twenty Eight  
Twenty Nine  
Thirty

I hear footsteps, I couldn't bring myself to care. He still isn't breathing. I start again. I breathe in, put my lips to his, and breathe out. I repeat One to Thirty, I count. I get to 19. He breathes. I stop. His breathing is short and raggedy, but it's still breathing.

"Zoro, oh my god." I whisper. My stomach twists in fear as I hear nails scratch the cave wall. The Wendigo had found us. "Stay still." I warn the unconscious swordsman. The Wendigo leaned in close, It's teeth were mere millimeters from my eye. Brook flashes behind the abomination, catching its attention, and I pick up Zoro bridal style to the forest on the other end of the cave. I keep running, the screeches fading, then growing fiercer and closer, then dispersing once more. I hide behind a tree with the swordsman in my grasp. Time takes it's own time. I remain hidden within the darkness of nightfall, amongst the trees. My heart throbbing in fear as I stand up against the cold wet wood. The sky was hidden above the canopy of the trees, with only one sound to be heard; the sound of my own pulse throbbing in my ears. Suddenly, the silence surrendered to the haunting scream of footsteps, the footsteps approach me lurking closer. A narrow stream of moon light filled little areas of the ground as it spotlights, a shadow quickly followed avoiding the light watching me. I was freaking out. I was hyperventilating, trying to avoid making a sound. Each second seemed to play on forever, as I stood perfectly still listening to the footsteps of my likely murderer. This area is not safe and I realize now that I shouldn't have ran so fast. Just standing makes my leg shoot searing pain throughout my body hurting so much I could cry out. I look him up and down, his arms are covered in angry, red, slashed, claw marks. He has a searing burn all the way up his back. I could tell that would scar. 'If he lives.' I thought. I shook my head. I remembered what Brook told me.

Swordsman! Fire is the only thing that effects it!"

Fire. Fire was they key.

I look around. I saw a shed just on the outside of the forest. I had a plan. I shout at the top of my lungs.  
"BROOK! USOPP! I'M IN THE FOREST! COME HERE!" I pant, my throat constricted in fear. If I hadn't shouted loud enough the Wendigo would have heard it. I silently pray to every religious deity I could think of that it was loud enough. I open my eyes to see only brook and Usopp panting in front of me. Usopp was the first to look up.  
"So what's this plan? Captain Usopp will complete this mission without any fears!" Usopp asks, his knees shaking. I gesture to the lonely shed on the outskirts of the forest. I put Zoro down, leaning against the tree trunk  
"We lure the Wendigo into the shed and then we burn it down." I said. Brook and Usopp shared suspicious glances.  
"We don't have anything to burn it down with." Usopp complained. I smiled. I took out a cigarette and put it between my teeth. I lit the cigarette with my lighter and inhaled the stress-reliving nicotine, I held up my lighter and grinned around my smoke.  
"I do." I announced cockily. They both nodded and we started to talk about how to lure the monster into the run down shed. As I talked, I silently thanked the gods that I only brought my cheap lighter not my expensive one I bought for my birthday. I told Usopp to stay with Zoro and he more than agreed.

Book and I ran, getting the monster to follow us. I was watching it without turning my head, my heart is hammering but I keep my gait casual with no hint of hesitation. Adrenaline coursed through my system as a fight or flight instinct. In this case I wanted to run away with my tail between my legs. But I knew it wasn't me who was in danger, it was Zoro, I had to get it away from him. A flickering thought in my head told me that I knew I would never out run it. I looked back. It was closing in. I had to make it to the shed. I saw out of his corner of his eye as it was almost close enough to make a grab for me. I jumped to the side, barely missing sharp claws. I looked to Brook, fear flashing in my eyes. I ran forward, every second barley escaping death, I felt as though my blood were on fire. My limbs were moving on their own. I was disconnected from everything but the ever present sound of my drumming heart. The shed was in view now. We sprinted as fast as we could, jumping over longs and cans, sidestepping boulders. I caught my foot on a root and pain shot up the whole length of my leg. I scrambled to my feet and ran again. We opened the rotting shed door and the monster ran inside. We shut the door and I lit a branch on fire, throwing it in with it. I flicked on my lighter, making sure it would stay lit, I threw it in and we ran the other way.

As soon as we heard the crackles and pops I collapsed to the ground, looking at the building. The entire shed burned in a sea of red, yellow and orange and the cries of the Wendigo echoed into the night. I watched as the flames ripped their way through the building, tendrils of smoke reaching desperately into the sky, as if trying to escape the blazing inferno below. As I ambled across the snow-covered path in a daze I observed glistening shards of glass cascading from the burning building as flames licked the charred window frames.

I saw Usopp had hid behind a tree and look at the skeleton and I, as the house exploded behind us. We kept walking, not running now, just walking with still angered, but slightly calmer faces. (I just had to make it into one of those movie cliches).

"Now we need to get back to the ship." I announced as soon as Usopp and Zoro were within earshot. The sniper nodded, but Zoro lay unresponsive on the grass. Usopp nodded and picked Zoro up, albeit struggling. Wordlessly I took the swordsman from the sniper and pulled him onto my back. We walked and walked, wandering past the meandering river and trying to find our way to the beach, and the Sunny.


	5. Chapter 5

**(Sanji's POV)**

My legs hurt, every step blinds me with a roaring heat dancing up my legs, making my eyes water. Zoro was limp on my back, his arms waving like an oversized, mangled rag doll. The flames still cackle wickedly behind us, spitting sparks and dancing in golden oranges and angered reds. I would have turned around and watched the flames roar of it weren't for the green-haired swordsman on my back clinging to life by a spider's thread.

Broom and Usopp were walking slightly ahead of me, walking side by side, in eerie silence. We're walking towards a river. I can hear the churning water over the stillness of the night and the deep call of south birds.

"Are you guys sure this is the way back to the Sunny?" I called, my voice cracked and it turned scratchy and croaky. Usopp shrugged and looked to the 7ft skeleton walking beside him.

"Yes, Cook-San. We can follow the river to get to the beach we docked at. I can hear it now." Brook answered. Swiftly he stopped and scratched at his skull. "Well, I _would_ be able to hear it if I _had_ any ears. SKULL JOKE! YOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

I sighed, if I wasn't so tired and my leg wasn't broken I would have kicked him. But I knew that he was only trying to lighten the mood. I chuckled quietly.

We emerged into a meadow, the river we could hear glowed with crystal like blue aura to our left, there was a small lake that shone with a magnificent navy. The Lilly pads were emeralds, floating upon sapphire waters, illuminated by moonlight. Cherry blossoms bloomed and berries hung low on the green bushes. The grass was lush and green, I laughed, if the swordsman was conscious I would have made a comment about how Zoro's hair perfectly blended with grass beneath our feet. I felt a twinge of pain and loss stir within me.

 _'What if Zoro didn't survive?'_ I shook my head to clear my mind of any doubts. The only thing I needed to think of was what we should do to get back to the Sunny. I placed Zoro on the grass and sat down next to him.

"What should we do?" Usopp asked.

"Brook said, we'll follow the river," I answered, smoking to calm my rising nerves. "It will give us a good way there, it will lead to the sea eventually." Another drag, another breath that I wasn't sure Zoro was taking in. I shook head again.

"We should rest up here for tonight." The skeleton chimed from his spot near the lake's bank.

"Brook, if you call into the lake I'm not diving in after you, I announced from my seat. Book hummed in acceptance. There was a serene, calm air about this place, it felt like a sanctuary.

The air was sweet, the weather was fine, there were south birds in the trees around us and I can hear the stream trickle across the stones. I should be on my way to help make the fire, and shelter I know, but right then, I just wanted to smell the flowers and take my chances on seeing a deer. There's something about being outside, on a new island, that evaporates my fear, maybe the fresh air scent reminds me of freshly washed laundry, I'm not sure - but my body had already begun to relax. I sat in Zoro's limp embrace watching Brook and Usopp play on the field under the twinkling stars.

"Cook?" I heard a scratchy voice ask. My visible eye widened.

"ZORO!" Usopp shouted as the swordsman lifted his head from my lap.

"Swordsman-san!" Brook shouted. The wind started to pick up, and it carried rain upon its breath.

"We should find shelter. " I said. Everyone nodded.

We tramped through the trees and foliage, and we saw a small map, a flyer to be precise, with information of the area. A house. I picked one up and read it through.

"Kimagarden house. By legend nobody that enters, leaves." I rolled my eyes, I had better things to do than play ghostbusters.

"Oh, what's this? It's my I-can't-go-to-the-scary-house-disease acting up and Chopper isn't here!" Ussop wailed.

"That stuff doesn't exist, Longnose." Sighing, I rolled my eyes again Fluttering, the map our group was following flew out of my grasp and twirled in the night air.

"Catch the map!" Usopp screamed, running after it, ahead of the injured. Breathlessly Brook and Usopp chased the paper around but gave up when it fell into a puddle and because soggy and unusable.

"Great, you guys can't even catch a map. We're lost now and it's pitch black." I complained. I looked to the sky, the sky is a never ending void of light that projects no means of guidance in my eyes. Below, the blacked out hill could be made out, its roughness and texture now one clean flat shape, dissolving down onto the dewy grass upon which we tread. Under a sky of perfect midnight velvet, under stars so brilliant they drew my eyes to the heavens. As the lights twinkled and the unheard music played, my steps fell lightly over the path. A cold rush of wind swept over us and made us shiver and our hair stood on end.

"Let's look for shelter," Brook announced. We all agreed and we continued down the rough dirt path. The marimo took off to our left, grabbing his collar I dragged him with me, injured or not.

"Look Cook-san, a house!" Brook pointed to the silhouette of a large house on the top of the hill we were walking up. "Let's ask if we can stay the night!" I nodded but ignored the feeling of my stomach twisting inside me, churning like a witches cauldron, and my heart jumped like an Olympic athlete. Thunder cackled and lightning flashed over our heads, sending spears of electricity over the grey clouds, and rain pounded on the ground relentlessly, turning the Erath into a muddy wasteland beneath our feet.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I muttered, the marimo eyeing me suspiciously from my left. We passed a gate, it read _'Kimagarden house_ ' and a sign on another gate _'trespassers will be shot.'_

"We should turn back!" I called to the others over the growing roar of merciless rain and raging thunder. "Find a cave or something! It will be safer!"

"Are you crazy, Cook?!" The mosshead shouted.

"Yeah Sanji, There's a house _, right there!"_ Usopp said, pointing to the door of the house.

"That's Kimagarden house, Usopp!" I protested, pointing out the signs.

"Cook-san, you said it yourself, things like ghosts exist. We are perfectly safe to go to the house." Brook said calmly.

"Brook! We just fought a _Wendigo_!" They ignored my protests and frantic warnings, but not one did they heed. I sighed as they reached the door, opening the rotting door and wandering inside after rusted hinges screamed and the rotten floorboards beneath them creaked. I followed them.

"I don't like this." I murmured, Usopp agreed.

"Why are you here?" A voice boomed. Screaming, Usopp hugged me for reassurance and protection.

"It's raining outside and we have two injured. We were wondering if we could stay for the night?" I answered the figureless voice. Fast footsteps echoed the desolate corridor. Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink, clink. Silence. No person emerged from the silent shadows. Maybe seconds, maybe minutes or even hours could have passed, it dragged on nonetheless, yet it passed in a colourless blur. Nobody in that darkened doorway knew for certain.

"Alright then, you may stay here, tonight only." The voice echoed once more. An old, scratchy-voiced man said. He stepped into their view, his hair, was as white as the snow that fell upon the cave's entrance where Sanji had fallen. His face wrinkled and frail-looking, but malicious and untrustworthy. His beard was a mess of tangled grey wiry hairs, dry and rough.

"T-Thank you, mister." Ussop chirped from my side, not letting my arm be free from his iron grip. We shivered in the rotten doorway, being hit from behind by harsh winds and the cold radiated through our rain-soaked clothing. The man nodded. The feeling in my stomach came back twice as hard, it bit me as hard as a sea king. The old man's grin was a warning sign, ringing alarm bells in my mind, but I ignored them and carried on down the damp corridor.

The room was painted a grim shade of red, almost crimson. A bell rang in the air, it sounded like gold, like the bell we heard on Skypiea. It was beautiful, like a pianist's masterpiece, well-crafted and practised, moulded and sculpted over years of patient practice. My eyelids felt like lead, my head felt like lead, everything felt like lead and heavy, my vision started to ebb, everything blurred, it was like looking through a glass of water, or looking through watered, teary eyes. Everything faded away. I fell limp.

 **SZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZ**

After a few minutes of floating in darkness, my eyes snapped open. I wasn't in the same old, age attacked house I was in before. I looked over to a mirror on the wall. I'm the old man. dressed in white, a white robe similar to the one the marimo was dressed in during Alabaster. It's covering my eyes expert. I tear my eyes from the mirror and look around. My hidden eyes widen. It's me. And Zoro, Usopp, Brook. Brook. Brook's bones are scattered all across the floor, his afro torn and his cane is in half on the floor next to me.

 _Oh God._

Everything was wrong. It was me, Sanji. Or am I the man? I shook my head, this wasn't the time. I lay on the floor, blood pooling around me, my dress shirt, and the ripped fabric from my jacket was stained in a warm crimson liquid. _Everything_ is red. Everything. Zoro's hands, Brook's bones, Usopp, me. My hands were tainted, so was the knife that gleamed a ruby red in the moonlight, my robe. The tinted floorboards creak as I take a step towards my unconscious body. I see the murderous intent in Zoro's eyes. Usopp screams, not verbally; no it's much more silent, It's in his eyes. He looks at my body, the body that is slowly dying, emptying it's life support. Then I realise how I met my end. I, the old man, killed her.

"Sanji!" Ussop screams. I stood still, frozen in confusion and guilt, where I was. I could feel my heart beat in anguish, every single pound in my constricted chest, every breath that leaves me opens a rift in my heart. Blood flowed thickly over Zoro's hands and flowers of red bloomed on the brown dirt floor, cooling steadily. As the blood roses rose the colour made a sickness crawl within me as I watched Zoro try to coax my lifeless body back to wakefulness. He could do nothing now. I was dead, gone, my soul was floating into the autumn atmosphere above, mingling with the moon and stars. Nothing would revive me.

"Nothing revives the dead." I heard myself say, full of anger and merciless fury, though I do not feel like it was me feeling these emotions, uttering these hate-filled words. I look to Usopp, seeing him lying about Brook's bones, His wound had leaked too much blood, he himself was dead too. Zoro, the only one left alive, screams in fury and loss ass he realises that he can't protect everyone, he can't save every life, and not everyone can survive every injury. Nothing can save him from the pain of losing someone so dear to his heart, so close to breaking all his emotional barriers. Nothing can stop the tears that come with watching someone you love die in front of you. I saw a looming shadow creep over the room, turning into a bone white figure with a skeleton grin and a scythe of bones.

Drip, drip, drip, drip. The grim reaper flashed me a grin, I shot one back and my consciousness ebbed, my vision blurred and everything turned to black once more.

 **SZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZSZ**

I opened my eyes, and I saw Brook, Usopp and Zoro looming over me. The sniper was shaking me, pleading.

"Sanji, Sanji, wake up! Are you ok?" I nodded and looked around, I felt my stomach twist and a sick form of Deja Vu. I remembered the room, the positions, the gleam of the knife in my bloodied grasp.

"We have to go!" I screamed, against my body's will, I saw the old man, his face donning a grin to malicious to harbour good intentions, in the corner. I leapt to my feet to the protest to every muscle organ and bone in my body, but I could not bring myself to care. Wobbling as I did, I raced from the room with my crewmates at my heels. We bolted down the cobbled path and a gunshot echoed from the doorway. We tripped and fell to the ground. I was first to die, everyone behind me. I twisted my left foot side to side as if stubbing out a cigarette butt as the man smiled devilishly and strode towards us, shotgun at his side. I looked down the barrel of the shotgun aimed right in my face and glared into the darkness.

" _Diable Jambe._ " I said as I kicked straight upwards, hitting the man in the chest.


End file.
